VPNs are undoubtedly among the best online security and privacy tools out there. They can seamlessly bypass geo-restrictions and allow users to access the internet almost anonymously. However, due to certain advantages, some use this technology for unlawful means. As such, we have witnessed VPNs gaining infamy. It led many users to believe that using a VPN is illegal, in Canada and elsewhere, and can land them in trouble. Thankfully, a few bad apples can’t belittle the various benefits this technology brings to the table.
VPNs have helped make the internet secure. Not only for individuals, either, as they have paved the way for further advancement in the corporate sector. Thus, today, we will answer the burning question, “is a VPN illegal in Canada?” If you are a resident of Canada and worried about the potential usage of VPN, continue reading this article to find out.
Canada is a member of the Five Eyes Alliance
Before we start, we would like to remind you that Canada is a member of the Five Eyes alliance. Meaning, even if it’s perfectly acceptable to use a VPN in Canada, it doesn’t guarantee that doing so is necessarily a good thing. That’s because of the glaring disadvantage of this particular alliance.
The Five Eyes Alliance saw its supposed establishment during the Cold War era in a bid to share highly sensitive intel. It arose from a pact known as the USUK Agreement. It started as an attempt at decrypting Soviet Union intelligence. Later on, the alliance evolved into an intelligence-sharing initiative, with the gradual addition of other English-speaking countries. By the late 1950s, the Alliance had established a five-party intelligence gathering and sharing authority. It had goals such as total surveillance.
The Alliance first saw the light of day in the year 2013. People discovered that their efforts have long since shifted to online surveillance. As such, these countries are subject to suspicion of accessing any user’s online data. It roughly translates to: even if you use a VPN, the state can force the provider to hand over your data, making the VPN moot. Almost every nation on our planet engages in some form of online monitoring, which is sometimes done out of necessity. The Five Eyes Alliance takes things a few steps further, making VPN users more apprehensive of them.
Thus, even when using a VPN is legal, if done in a country that’s a Five Eyes Alliance member, chances are, you are knocking on the wrong door. As long as you want to tackle online surveillance (due to Canada being a member), VPNs are the go-to solution. The current members of this Alliance are the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Is a VPN illegal within Canada?
Using a VPN is perfectly legal in Canada. The country is home to one of the famous VPN providers, TunnelBear. As such, you can safely assume that using a VPN in Canada is an aboveboard experience. However, we would like to express a fact. Although using a VPN is legal, its use for anything illegal won’t make the activity or crime go away.
The Canadian government has been upfront regarding digital laws. Thus, there are no laws that explicitly or otherwise ban or limit a VPN in the country. However, this doesn’t equate to using a VPN for a crime. It is similar to owning a car. You can own a vehicle legally, but you can’t justify using it for anything illegal. When using a VPN, users should act to the best of their judgment and not engage in unlawful activities. Some examples are hacking, identity theft, insider or illegal trading, piracy, harassment, and cyberbullying.
The law supports you if you want a VPN for your online safety or your privacy. It even allows for the streaming of numerous types of content. However, if you engage in something shady or partake in illegal acts, the charges will apply accordingly, and whether you were using a VPN won’t have any effect. Thus, so long as you are doing everything legally, it doesn’t matter if you use a VPN or not. However, we recommend using one because of the Five Eyes Alliance. Yes, your provider can hand your data over, but if you are a legitimate user with nothing to hide, VPNs can keep you safe.
How to use a VPN legally?
There are various ways of using a VPN legally. There’s a case to be made for bypassing geo-restrictions to access the content. Despite the fact the activity is legal on paper, it is often frowned upon. We don’t condone it, as it can lead to the closing of your user account and the loss of hard-earned money.
- Money transfer — VPNs can safely transfer money without leaking any data. Most financial institutions use VPNs to secure their information. However, we recommend remaining cautious when using VPNs for banking and anything related to finances.
- Secure public Wi-Fi — Public Wi-Fi can be detrimental to any user without sufficient security measures in place. There are numerous risks associated with a public Wi-Fi connection. Many hackers lurk on such a network, waiting for a chance to sense and attack the vulnerabilities in your system’s defense.
- Bandwidth throttling — Sometimes, your ISP can throttle your data depending on your usage. You can use a VPN to hide your actual traffic, thus forgoing the issues of data throttling.
- Fight data retention — Despite its digital-friendly nature, Canada is a prudent member of the Five Eyes Alliance. As such, it does practice data retention. If you are a privacy-centric fellow, we recommend using a VPN to fight retention of data.
- Avoid online surveillance — As part of the Five Eyes Alliance, Canada partakes in the surveillance of its residents. Despite the fact it does so for the purpose of national security, you can avoid it by employing a VPN.
- Streaming geo-restricted content — One of the major attractions of a VPN is its ability to bypass VPN blocks. We agree that most blocks exist for the benefit of users, and we don’t approve of the activity. Even in the cases where it isn’t illegal, you’d be breaking the Terms of Service.
- Corporations use VPNs — A significant market share of the VPN comes from corporate clients. VPNs and their subsequent technology have been aiding the business world for decades.
Is streaming Netflix with a VPN illegal in Canada?
Legally, you can use a VPN to stream Netflix, amongst other over-the-top (OTT) media platforms. The content is not subject to restriction under any law, and the use of VPNs is legal in Canada. Hence, streaming Netflix is allowed on paper. However, while you won’t land into trouble with the local law, you will provoke the service (Netflix). As Netflix has stated in its terms and policies, it doesn’t allow the usage of VPNs. By using one, you risk getting your Netflix account banned.